


Growing Accustomed

by AXEe



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 14:11:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: Just a little J/7 fluffiness.   Enjoy :=)





	Growing Accustomed

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little J/7 fluffiness. Enjoy :=)

******

Physical contact is irrelevant to the Borg. Something only to be valued for the pure, raw knowledge it can bring to the Collective, Borg drones don’t hug each other after all. When I had first come aboard _Voyager_ , when my connection to the Collective had first been severed, I had tensed every time Kathryn touched ne.

I was unaccustomed to physical contact; I was unaccustomed to many things then; friendships, conversations, emotions. But, as time passed, I found myself growing accustomed to these things. At first due to simply encountering them day after day, but, eventually, as time passed, I found myself actively _craving_ them, I found myself desiring to talk with my crewmates about inconsequential things.

When Tom and Harry invited me to join them on the holodeck and participate in their _Captain Proton_ holo-program I found myself agreeing not simply to further my socialization, but because I wanted to spend time with them, and they, with me.

Soon after, I found myself becoming friends with B’Elanna, the woman whose dislike for me had been the most obvious was now one of my closest friends. Commander Chakotay, again a member of the crew who initially objected to my presence aboard the ship, also became one of my friends.

I had found friends, and without even realizing it.

But I longed for something more. My first attempt at dating had been disastrous, Lt. Chapman still avoids me, and B’Elanna has remarked that if I spy on her and Tom again, friend or not, she will break my nose.

The Doctor suggested that I attempt dating again, something which I was reluctant to do, but it was Harry who gave me the most valuable piece of advice

“You can’t analyze love, Seven,” he told me “it doesn’t work like that. Look, there must be someone on the crew who you find attractive”

There was someone, but that person was ‘off-limits’ as it were, and I told him as such

“Well, why?” he asked “do you like them?”

I did, immensely, to the point of almost physical pain

“Well, give it a shot” Harry had said.

If only he knew who it was that I was attracted to…

******

When I had entered Kathryn’s quarters it was late, well into the gamma shift. She was still awake, staring out the viewport at the distortions caused by the warp field, when I entered.

For approximately two minutes she didn’t acknowledge my presence, merely continued to stare out the viewport, and I found myself slowly approaching her, my movements slow and measured, as if I was approaching a wild animal. She still did not turn, but I could see her tense as I gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

She sighed and leaned back into my touch

“What you’re experiencing,” she spoke suddenly “these feelings, they’re not…” she shook her head

“You’re not my mother” I told her

She laughed at that, a harsh, bitter sound

“No,” she agreed “I’m not,” she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face “but I’m your captain”

“Irrelevant,” I declared “your knowledge of what I am feeling implies that you share these feelings”

She sighed

“Yes, I do,” she agreed “but that doesn’t—” she stopped when I gently turned her around to face me, gently gripping her shoulders

“Look at me,” I requested when she looked away from me “please,” I added

Slowly she looked up at me, tears in her eyes, and I gave in to the temptation to wipe them away with my fingertip. She bit her lip, she was nervous I saw, afraid, even as she slowly reached up, encircling her arms around me and gently pulling me close. I tensed at the physical contact, even then being held by her, something which I had long fantasized about, was unsettling to actually experience.

Sighing, she buried her face in my shoulder, sniffling

“You showed me what it means to be human,” I explained “permit me to return the favor”

She shook her head

“It’s not that simple, Seven” she told me

“In my experience, nothing about being human is ‘simple’,” I replied “but,” I reached out, placing my fingers under her chin and gently lifting her head so that I could look into her eyes “…the rewards far outweigh the difficulties” I finished

She stared at me for a long moment, before she suddenly laughed slightly

“All this time,” she sighed “I thought that you weren’t ready, that you were still too…Borg, and yet…” she trailed off and shook her head, clearly unable to verbalize her thoughts, but I understood her meaning, she thought as I did at times, that I wasn’t ready to experience this level of emotional development, and perhaps I wasn’t, perhaps this endeavor would never work, but we would never know unless we tired.

I could feel myself smile as I held her close, which made her smile in response

“Oh, look at you,” she chuckled as she held me close “my beautiful Seven” she whispered as she pulled me into a kiss…

******

That was more than two years ago, and in that time we both have found that our feelings for each other grew stronger with each day. That is not to say that it has been ‘easy’. In fact, only an hour ago, I woke to a thrashing sensation. Sitting up, I found Kathryn in the midst of a nightmare, limbs flailing as she kicked and fought against an imaginary adversary before she suddenly jerked awake, blinking in confusion as she stared at me

“Seven?” she questioned

“Yes,” I answered as she moved closer towards me, allowing me to hold her close “you had a nightmare,” I told her as she buried herself into my arms “do you wish to talk about it?” I asked

She shook her head

“All right” I agreed as I held her close, having grown accustomed to her reluctance to about her nightmares. I’ve grown accustomed to many things about her, her love for me most of all…

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought :=)


End file.
